The Campout
by Linwe Ringeril
Summary: This takes place when Kathryn and Chakotay are marooned on New Earth. They have just found out after 6 months of being there, that they have to leave in 36 hours. They wanted to have go camping, though, can the date be saved? please read and review. it's
1. Time to go Camping

**The Campout **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek Voyager, or the characters, Paramount does. Live long and perspire. -Linwe**

_Author's note: this takes place when Janeway and Chakotay are on New Earth, but they just received the transmission from Tuvok saying they have to leave. _

"I can't believe _Voyager_ contacted us after all these months." Kathryn said.

"I know… I guess we won't be able to take the canoe up the river for a camping trip." Chakotay said softly. They had just been discussing their camping trip.

"I was really looking forward to it, too." Kathryn sadly sighed. Chakotay hated to see Kathryn upset. Maybe there was something he could do…

"Kathryn?"

"Yes, Chakotay?"

"_Voyager_ won't be here for at least another 36 hours, right?"

"Yes," she answered with a curious eyebrow cocked.

"Maybe we could still go on that camping trip. It's mid-afternoon…" he paused, thinking. "We could take the canoe now and we could reach a campsite before nightfall. What'd ya say?" she was smiling at his idea, obviously pleased.

"Of course! I'll get a few things and we can shove off immediately, Skipper!" she said, beaming.

"I'll bring the fold-up tent." He said.

"I'll bring some food, too." She added.

"I'll get the sleeping bags, too."

"It'll be just like when I was a girl… even though when I was a girl I hated camping. I guess you can grow out of some things." Kathryn said, wistfully, still smiling at Chakotay.

"I can't wait." Chakotay said and he ran off to get their things.


	2. Night under the stars

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Star Trek Voyager or the characters, Paramount does, I'm just going to borrow them for a while, but I give them back, I promise. Live long and prosper. -Linwe**

About an hour later, they were sailing upstream against the current in their homemade canoe. Chakotay had no trouble, because he had ridden canoes as a boy, but Kathryn was another story. Luckily it wasn't a seasickness issue, but she had no idea how easily canoes could flip.

They had put their supplies and belongings on one side, and they sat together on the other, to balance the weight. Kathryn had almost tipped the canoe twice from leaning over the edge to look at the water. Chakotay had on both occasions, grabbed her before she could fall in and steadied the canoe. Although unlike most canoes, Chakotay had installed a propeller so his arms wouldn't get fatigued from rowing.

They now sat with Kathryn in front and Chakotay behind her. After her two almost-tipping-the-canoe slip-ups, Kathryn was trying extremely hard not to move at all.

"Kathryn, you can relax a little. If you move a little bit the canoe won't flip over. Only if you lean over the side. "Chakotay said almost laughing at his friend's effort to remain completely still.

"Are you sure? I don't want to risk all our things falling into the water." She said.

"Kathryn, you're fine."

"No, I'm not."

"Are you scared now?"

"Of course not." Chakotay knew she was, though.

"If it makes you feel any better, Kathryn, I could hold you in place so you don't strain something from trying so hard not to move." This gained him a "very funny" look from Kathryn.

"I'm not going to strain something, _Commander_, but if you really want to… it would make me feel a bit more secure in this thing. You seem to have control of it, but you never know when we could hit a rock and tip…"

"Kathryn, it's fine. I made this _thing_ very sturdy."

"Alright." She carefully moved backward in between his legs. He wrapped his arms securely around her waist, holding her in place.

"Better?" he asked, staring down at her auburn head.

"Mmhmm." She said, and he could tell she was embarrassed.

"It's OK if you're scared, Kathryn, the river _is_ over ten feet deep." He said.

"I'm not scared." She replied stubbornly.

"Then why are you shaking?" his deep voice whispered in her ear. He could feel a shiver run down her spine and smiled to himself.

"I'm just a little scared of tipping over, that's all." She snapped.

"Alright, alright."

They went upstream for about ten more minutes, when the water's rushing sound became louder, and the current, fiercer. The forest was now on their right and a cliff wall on their left.

"There, Chakotay!" Kathryn accidentally rocked the canoe with her sudden movement, but drew back, cowering, against Chakotay. "Sorry," she said in a small voice.

"It's fine, I got it." He said steadying the boat.

"There's a nice lagoon over there with a waterfall, and a nice shelf of grassy land to set up camp.

"I see where we can land. It's a good spot to set up camp, private and peaceful looking, don't you think?" she nodded.

He steered the canoe toward the grassy valley on the edge of the water, under the 50-foot cliff wall, and it's lagoon. It was a good spot. The lagoon had the waterfall with a small pool that led to the main river. With the sun low in the sky, casting its orange and pink rays upon the glassy surface of the lagoon, it looked like paradise. The grass was also spotted with multicolored wild flowers and a few trees.

When they reached the land, he and Kathryn unloaded their belongings and supplies. They set up their fold up tent and built a place for a campfire. The sun was now very low in the sky and it would soon be dark. Kathryn put their things in their tent while Chakotay gathered firewood from the few trees. Kathryn was again reminded when she was a girl and how much she hated camping. Chakotay was reminded of when he was a boy and had to practice survival skills with his father. However, their somewhat unpleasant memories did not put a damper on their spirits this night, and they both merrily completed their chores.

When Kathryn went outside, she set up lanterns and a table for dinner. They'd be cooking over an open fire tonight, no replicators. So about an hour or so later, they were sitting around the campfire eating roasted marshmallows after their dinner. They sat like that for a while, talking and laughing around the campfire on the green grass. The embers were dying as time passed, but it was a warm summer night, so it didn't matter.

"Chakotay?"

"Yes, Kathryn?"

"Do you want to go back to _Voyager_?" This was a question he had been waiting for.

"Yes… and no." he answered.

"Same here." She sighed. "I really started to like being here… with you."

"I definitely liked it here, too. But… _Voyager_ needs us. And I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again." Chakotay said.

"Yeah, me too. I just…I accepted that we'd stay here for the rest of our lives. I mean, six months is a long time, Chakotay." She paused and then looked at the ground. "But… I'm sure we'll adjust."

"It won't be the same, though."

"What won't?"

"On _Voyager_. I don't know if I'm ready for you to be just 'Captain Janeway' again. I'll miss Kathryn, the woman I got to know for six months." Chakotay said, sincerely.

"Chakotay," she half whispered, tears shining in her blue eyes. She took his hand and looked in to his eyes. "I'll never be just 'Captain' again. And you'll never be just 'Commander' again. I want you to know that you're my best friend, Chakotay. If things went back to the way they were before we lived here together… I don't think I could stand it." She said, tears flowing as fast as the river.

"Kathryn, don't cry." Chakotay said softly as he moved toward her and embraced her tightly against him. He'd never seen her like this, she was usually an extremely private person. He was glad she had opened up to him. "You're my best friend, too, Kathryn. It's ok, I'll always be here for you, no matter what. And I want you to know that I wouldn't be able to stand it either, if things went back to the way they were."

"Thank you, Chakotay."

"Your welcome, Kathryn." He gently caressed her back comfortingly, and kissed the top of her head, tenderly.

They sat on the grass, under the stars, embracing for several minutes in silence, until Kathryn broke it suddenly.

"I'm sorry, Chakotay."

"What for?"

"For breaking down all of a sudden. It's just really hard when all of a sudden your starship contacts you after six months to rescue you and you're expected to become a whole different person. A captain has to maintain a certain distance from her crew… to be aloof… but it's just so hard to be that person, it's… lonely."

"I understand. And, Kathryn, I'll always be there for you, like I promised, so if you ever feel lonely, I'll be right there y your side."

"Thank you, Chakotay."

"Your welcome."

They finally pulled back.

"Chakotay, this is our last night without uniforms, protocol, hostile aliens, and Tuvok's sense of humor. I say we have some fun." Kathryn said, drying her tears.

"What did you have in mind?"

"How about we go for a swim in the pool under the waterfall?" Kathryn suggested.

"Sure," Chakotay said. "Sounds like fun."


	3. Last night together

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek Voyager or Janeway or Chakotay, but I do own the story. Live long and prosper. -Linwe**

Kathryn plunged into the water and then surfaced to find Chakotay laughing.

"What's so humorous, Commander?" she asked.

"I just… I don't think I'll ever see another Starfleet captain do a cannonball in a red bikini again."

"You're right, you won't," she laughed, "or at least not on my ship." They paused and laughed together for a few moments, then she spoke once more. "Although, I probably won't ever get to see my first officer in Hawaiian trunks again."

They enjoyed their last night together on New Earth by finally getting out of the pool, and telling stories around the campfire with another bag of marshmallows. Chakotay was about to tell Kathryn an ancient legend but she spoke before he could start.

"Chakotay?"

"Hmm?"

"I just want to thank you again. I really enjoyed being here with you. I also hope that when we return to the ship-- our ship-- that we can still be as close as we are now."

"Of course we can, Kathr-- I mean Captain. I enjoyed being here with you, getting to know you, and I'm not about to relinquish our friendship to Starfleet protocol."

"It's still Kathryn, Chakotay. And Chakotay, we're still a long way from the Alpha Quadrant. I don't think Starfleet will notice I'm not exactly living up to the captain's standard aloofness." He smiled at her with those to-die-for dimples and then continued with his storytelling.


	4. In the Morning

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Star Trek Voyager, although I wish I did. I'm just borrowing the characters for a while. Live long and prosper. -Linwe**

Chakotay slowly opened his eyes and briefly wondered why he wasn't seeing the gray ceiling of the shelter. Memories of the past 24 hours flooded his mind and he sat up.

Kathryn was sleeping soundly in her sleeping bag with both arms above her head on his right. He smiled at how she looked more like a restless child, than a dignified Starfleet captain.

He reached out to touch her shoulder to wake her and as his fingers brushed her long auburn locks, he found her hair was still slightly damp. He remembered the night before and how they had clowned around like teenagers. He also remembered how Kathryn had made a revelation. She'd told him that she considered him her best friend, and that had genuinely touched Chakotay more than she could know.

They had told many stories to each other around the campfire and Kathryn had finally fallen asleep when Chakotay was in the middle of an ancient legend (a real one) of his people. He'd lifted her in his arms and tucked her in her sleeping bag. She was so exhausted that she'd never even flinched.

"Chakotay?" she asked groggily.

"Good morning, sunshine." He joked and she swatted his shoulder playfully.

"Am I still wearing that red bikini?"

"Yes."

"Don't tell me I fell asleep during your legend?"

"You did."

"Will you ever forgive me?"

"Hmm… I suppose I could, since you're the captain."

"How does the legend end?" she asked.

"I'll tell you when we return to _Voyager_."

"Is that a date, Commander?"

"Yes, Captain."

"I told you, it's still Kathryn, Chakotay."

"I was hoping you would say that."

"Now," she said sitting up. "Where's my coffee?"

**The End**

**To my most gracious reviewers:**

**Sevenfan, you are absolutely right. Janeway did say in" Cannon" that she hated camping, but she also hated gardening, remember? She said herself she now finds it relaxing. Plus she was the one who suggested (rather enthusiastically at that) to Chakotay that they take the boat up the river for a camping trip. Perhaps she's also grown out of her hate for camping?**

**Ari, you are very wise to agree with sevenfan, they did sort of address each other like teenagers would, I was thinking casual though. They weren't on duty or even on _Voyager, _but I suppose they could've used a bit more sophisticated of words. I wasn't thinking too well when I wrote this, it was just for fun, you know? It's what I _wanted _to happen in the show.**

**Thanks to all for reading and reviewing! -Linwe**


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